Rail

Michigan DOT paying $1M per year for unused railcars

OWOSSO, Mich. — The State of Michigan is paying $1.1 million a year to lease 23 passenger railcars it can't use — and likely won't use for at least another two years — with the price tag for that inactivity approaching $12 million, the Detroit Free-Press reports.

The Michigan Department of Transportation started leasing the cars in 2010 for two commuter rail passenger services proposed between Detroit and Ann Arbor and Howell and Ann Arbor, however, nearly five years later, none of the cars has logged a single commuter passenger mile. There still is no funding and no operator for either proposed commuter service, required environmental studies are not complete, and in the case of the Detroit-Ann Arbor service, even the tracks won't be ready for another two years. For the full story, click here.